The Israeli company BlackCore, suspected of interfering in local elections in France in March, may have also interfered in elections in New York and Scotland, as well as operating in Angola and Togo. This was reported by Reuters, citing a statement from the French disinformation detection service Viginum, according to UNN.
Details
Reuters previously reported that French authorities suspect BlackCore of conducting an online campaign to discredit three mayoral candidates from the radical left-wing pro-Palestinian party "La France Insoumise" (LFI) during local elections.
During a press conference on Thursday alongside French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, the head of Viginum, Marc-Antoine Brillant, stated that technical work allowed them to trace the activities to BlackCore. Following this, Viginum presented a detailed report on the company's alleged activities worldwide.
This mode of operation was not limited to municipal elections in France. It was also likely used to conduct foreign digital interference operations in other countries or regions, including Angola, Togo, elections in Scotland, and the 2025 municipal elections in New York,
At the same time, Brillant noted that it remains unclear who exactly commissioned BlackCore for the interference in France.
Our investigations have not allowed us to identify the client or clients, if they exist at all, who are behind this foreign digital interference,
Lecornu stated that the French government has reached out to Israel for explanations regarding BlackCore's actions, as well as for assistance in determining who might have been behind the smear campaign.
I do not doubt for a single moment that if a French private group from French territory had carried out foreign digital interference in Israel, they would have done the same with their ambassador on the ground,
The Israeli Embassy in Paris confirmed that France had reached out and stated that it is awaiting details of the investigation for its own verification.
Israel, of course, has no intention of interfering in the French political process - neither at the national nor at the municipal level,
Elections in New York and Scotland were also targeted
Brillant did not specify who exactly was the target during the New York elections last year, which were won by Zohran Mamdani. His victory sparked excitement among younger Jewish progressive voters but concerned more traditional pro-Israel residents due to his outspoken support for the Palestinian position.
Mamdani's team did not respond to a request for comment. Similarly, representatives of the New York City and state authorities did not respond.
The NYPD and the US cyber agency CISA also provided no comment, while the FBI declined to comment.
In a subsequent report, Viginum stated it had identified accounts linked to BlackCore that targeted John Swinney, the First Minister of Scotland. Swinney has called the situation in Gaza a "man-made humanitarian catastrophe" and spoke of a possible genocide, citing civilian casualties and destruction.
Neither Swinney nor the Scottish National Party responded to requests for comment. Similarly, Scottish electoral authorities did not respond.
The governments of Angola and Togo also provided no comment.
Before deleting its online presence following inquiries from Reuters, BlackCore described itself as an "elite influence, cyber, and technology company built for the modern era of information warfare." It claimed to provide governments and political campaigns with "advanced strategies, tools, and protection to shape narratives."
The company did not respond to repeated requests for comment.